Sri Lankan Rebels Engage In Piracy

An explosion in sea-going attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has made Sri Lankan waters extremely dangerous. Their Sea Tiger wing, which has always been a force to be reckoned with, seems to have gone on a major offensive. The Sea Tigers are commandeering ships. In some cases crew members have been killed. Many of the crew who escaped death remain captives of the rebels.

The maritime campaign had its genesis more than a year ago, but it has gotten into gear since July. In April 1996, the LTTE staged an abortive attack against the Colombo port and damaged at least three foreign-owned ships. There were no casualties among foreigners but nine Tigers perished in the suicide attack. In August of 1996 the rebels blasted a Philippine-registered cargo ship, the M. V. Princess Wave with underwater explosives while it was loading mineral sand at Pulmoddai. No one was killed.

Among the major targets in the most recent maritime campaign, which has been on-going since early July, have been a 500-seat passenger ferry (MV Misan, Indonesian flagged), a merchant ship (3,000-ton cargo vessel MV Morang Bong, Korean flagged), the MV Cordiality and fleets of smaller craft, such as fishing vessels. Dozens of crewmen, fishermen and fishing boats have been held hostage. The Misan was burned by the rebels, the Morang Bong was returned to the North Korean government through the Red Cross after weeks of negotiations.

In late August a ship loaded with of tens of thousands of mortar shells bound for Sri Lanka was reported missing in the Indian Ocean. The unregistered ship carrying 32,400 of 81mm mortar bombs, disappeared between Madagascar and Sri Lanka. The exact circumstances were unclear by investigators speculated that the Stillus Limmasul, flying a Greek national flag, could have been intercepted and hijacked by separatist rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In addition to the piracy theory there was also speculation the craft could have been a "phantom ship." Far eastern media reported that the LTTE rebels are known to own five ships, operating under three international shipping companies in Greece, Cyprus and Panama.

Any vessel in northern Sri Lankan waters is a potential target of the insurgents. Palk Bay, a strip of sea separating Sri Lanka and India's southern Tamil Nadu state, is a particularly dangerous area for small craft. It is is patrolled by the Sri Lankan navy and prowled by high-powered boats belonging to the LTTE's sea wing. Vessels in the area also stand the chance of unfriendly encounters with Sri Lankan air patrols which are attempting to halt the piratical attacks. On July 24 government gunboats intercepted a convoy of more than two-dozen rebel craft and fought a major sea battle--the type of battle where identification of friend and foe is often difficult and transient shipping could become embroiled through no fault of the civilian captains.

In mid-summer 32 Muslim fishermen and 22 boats were taken hostage. On September 1st the LTTE struck again and captured a group of Indian fishermen and their boats. They said they would free a hostage and some boats if India supplied gasoline, diesel and battery cells to the rebel forces.

On Sept. 9 the foreign-registered MV Cordiality, a 60,000-ton ore- carrying vessel, was attacked before dawn while anchored a half- mile off the coast at Pulmoddai, north of the Indian Ocean island's eastern port of Trincomalee. The rebels attacked the vessel from three directions while it was loading 29,000 tons of ilmenite. Tamil Tigers reportedly killed 33 crew members and wounded another 17.

Navy gunboats patrolling near Trincomalee, 155 miles northeast of the capital, Colombo, went to aid the embattled ore- carrier. They battled 15 Tamil rebel gunboats for three hours before driving them off. The government claimed four rebel craft sunk and said three others were damaged. The ship's accommodation quarters and engine room were reportedly razed by fire and the ship was flooded and was listing by the stern. Rocket-propelled grenades started the engine room fire.

The LTTE is also known to be preparing mine attacks. While one in July was thwarted, there is no guarantee that it will possible for the government to prevent all uses of mines in Sri Lankan waters. Shipping planning on using, or being in the vicinity of Trincomalee, should take special care.